Catching up on Some Nice Collectibles

Here’s a long list of records we’ve been watching:

Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Message, Prestige 7061. This was an original pressing in VG+/VG+ condition. Price: $679.58. That’s a pretty steep price for a VG+ record.

Speaking of steep prices for records in VG+ condition: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original New York pressing in VG+/VG+ condition. Price: $1,475

And yet another in VG+ condition: Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG+. The price was $749.99 Read more

How About Brubeck Collectibles?

I’m going through all of the old Web posts and newsletters from 2004 and 2005 and updating them and putting them on the site. I ran into an item, which I’ll post in a second, in which a reader asked about our Price Guides and why we didn’t include any records from Dave Brubeck. The answer, basically, is that Brubeck records are not really among the most highly pursued collectibles and don’t normally get top dollar. So, on eBay this week, I was caught by surprise by the price of this record: Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jazz Red, Hot and Cool, Columbia 699.  This record sold for $160.50. Apparently what makes this rare (and valuable) is that it’s an original white label promo that was released as part of a joint promotion with Helena Rubenstein, promoting the lipstick worn by the model on the cover. Generally promo copies don’t make all that much difference in value, but apparently this one turns this Brubeck record into a collectible of note.   As for the original correspondence about the Price Guides and Brubeck and collectibles, I’m reposting those as comments to this post. Please post your own comments if you’d like.

A Milestone for Milestones

I can’t pinpoint exactly when this happened, but sometime over the past couple of years it seems the Miles Davis Columbia LPs crossed the $100-barrier for original mono pressings in nice condition. Kind of Blue has gone way beyond that. Here’s a recent copy of Milestones, Columbia 1193. Price: $102.50

 And here’s Round Midnight, Columbia 949. Price: $122.49

 Here’s another we were watching. Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original New York pressing, but it was not in great condition. The seller listed both the record and cover as a cross between VG and VG+. I don’t know this seller, but in most cases, that means closer to VG. Still it went for the hefty sum of $510.

 Here’s one that went for a higher price than usual: Stan Getz Quartets, Prestige 7002. This was in nice condition and was offered by a very reputable dealer. Price: $282

 

Kind of Blue, The Collectible

It’s been a few days, so we’ll spend today catching you up on some of the interesting action we’ve been watching on eBay. Here goes:

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355, represents one of the defining jazz albums and now it is taking its place as a collectible of value as well. We’ve seen copies in nice condition begin selling in the $100 range earlier this year and now we have this copy breaking the $200 price barrier. It sold for $203.37.

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The Value of A Reliable Dealer

As promised, we spent the past couple of days catching up on eBay, looking ahead and looking back. Here are some of the items we’re watching over the next couple of days:

Curtis Fuller, Volume 3, Blue Note 1583

We take note any time we see an item from the Jazzrecordcenter for two main reasons: (1) They are probably the premier jazz dealer in the world and (2) Because they sell with integrity, knowledge and credibility. In addition to this Curtis Fuller LP, click “View Seller’s Other Items” for some more nice records, including George Wallington, The Prestidigitator, East-West 4004 and Read more

Happy Birthday, Miles Davis

In my haste to keep an eye on eBay this week, I somehow missed Miles Davis’ birthday, which was Tuesday. He would have been 78. Here are some random riffs on Miles. You’re all welcome to share your thoughts.

Here’s the thing about Miles. He was a great musician, a true pioneer and innovator. He produced some of the finest music of the 20th Century and discovered and nurtured many of jazz’s best musicians. But even more than that, Miles may have been the coolest man who ever lived. I don’t say that lightly, for there is perhaps no quality I admire more than cool.

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